A review on electrodeposited layered double hydroxides for energy and environmental applications

The great demand for efficient and low-cost materials for energy and environmental applications has been inspiring researchers to develop novel and advanced materials. Recently, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are found to be admirable materials for various applications owing to their tunable elemental composition and diverse nanostructures. The preparation of binder-free LDHs thin-film electrodes has attracted great attention in the field of supercapacitors, electrocatalysts and sensors. The electrodeposition method exhibits the capability of fabricating binder-free, uniform and well-oriented thin films with tunable elemental composition. In the present review, we provide a detailed electrodeposition mechanism behind the formation of LDHs with nucleation and growth processes. Also, we summarize the literature on electrodeposited LDHs based electrode materials for energy and environmental applications. In energy storage applications, a loading amount of active materials on the substrate is crucial to improve the areal and volumetric capacities. Therefore, the utilization of low-cost and scalable scaffold materials such as carbon nanofibers, graphene foam, etc. is highly recommended.